Improving Concept and Product Development in R&D in a Life Sciences Company

A solution plan for the R&D function addressing the identified root causes

The client’s problem

The client’s R&D division was facing a situation with delays and budget overruns for some R&D projects, and needed an improvement plan for addressing the root causes. The client asked for Oleto Associates' help to diagnose the current situation in R&D and develop a solution plan for solving the key challenges. 

 

Our approach

Oleto Associates was requested to deliver a root cause diagnosis and solution plan within a very short project period. The first phase of the project focused on diagnosing the current situation within three overall themes, i.e., project governance and management, project handover and working processes and key competencies. The root cause diagnosis showed that the client was in a situation with unclear organisational direction, imbalances between the line and project model leading to suboptimal resource allocations, lack of right project management and working process skills resulting in unclear project hand-overs, insufficient testing methods and frequent underestimations of ramp-up costs. In the second, phase root causes were prioritised based on impact and proposals for addressing each root cause were developed, i.e., conceptual solution design, including assessment of benefits and costs. Finally, an overall solution plan was delivered to the client. 


Value delivered

Rapid delivery of a diagnosis of the current situation for concept and product development in R&D, leading to a solution plan for addressing root causes.